If we ask a pianist what his favorite musical instrument is, the pianist would undoubtedly say “the piano”. Likewise if we ask a guitarist “what is your favorite instrument?” the guitarist will obviously say “the guitar”. In answer to the same question, the drummer would most likely say “the drum”. So, what is your favorite musical instrument or what do you think is the greatest musical instrument?
I am not a musician and apart from knowing a little bit about playing the guitar, I have no knowledge or experience about playing any musical instruments. But if I am asked what my favorite musical instrument is or what I consider to be the greatest musical instrument, I would say “the human voice”.
Yes, for me, the human voice is not only the greatest musical instrument but also the most beautiful, the most unique, the most versatile, the most amazing and the most reverberating one. Maybe this is why I have always been more interested in who the vocalist is when it comes to musical bands.
When I receive calls on my phone, I can easily recognize the voices of my close relatives and friends even if they do not introduce themselves. Likewise, I can also easily recognize the voices of the singers whom I grew up listening. In the same way, I can also easily recognize the voices of the famous historical figures or cinematic personalities whom I have listened to or watched on films multiple times over the years. I can do so because no two voices are the same. Just like we all have different fingerprints, our voices are also all unique. This is one of the most amazing aspects of creation.
When God talked to Moses through the burning bush, I wonder how the voice of God must have sounded to Moses’ ears. Films and movies which have depicted this encounter between God and Moses have portrayed God’s voice as being very deep, reverberating and booming. In fact, Charlton Hesston who played the role of Moses in the iconic movie “The Ten Commandment” insisted on saying the words of God with his own voice himself in the burning bush scene because he said that the voice of God is nothing but the voice which comes from within ourselves. Yes, God may not literally speak to us today. But I believe the voice of God is the inner voice which we hear from deep inside our heart and soul.
I grew up listening to the songs of great singers like Elvis, Jim Reeves and Freddy Mercury. So I can easily recognize their voices even today whether they are singing or talking. Likewise, in the recent years, I listened to so many recorded speeches and utterances of historic personalities like Hitler that I can now easily recognize his voice as well even though he spoke only in German. So if I can recognize a person’s voice even if he is speaking in a foreign language, it tells us that our voice is a very unique attribute given to us by the almighty and we must treasure and use it properly for its intended purpose.
Likewise, listening to recorded voices of historic personalities like Gandhi, JFK, Albert Einstein, Martin Luther King Jr, Nelson Mandela etc is always a moving and unforgettable experience. These great personalities lived in totally different eras and made significant contributions in their fields the effects of which we witness even today. We hear and read so much about them but to listen to their voices is altogether a different experience.
As for any musical instrument, it can be replenished and duplicated. For instance, even a great musical piece by an iconic guitarist, violinist or pianist can be imitated and presented by another artist in such a way that the listeners are unable to spot any difference between the original piece and the copied one. But this is not so when it comes to the human voice. Even if the imitation of the human voice is near-perfect, on careful analysis, the difference will become obvious to one and all. Such is the power and unique nature of our vocal chords.
When I was young and still living in my grandparents’ house, I remember one evening when most of our relatives and neighbors assembled and listened to a voice being played in the tape recorder. The voice was talking about the uniqueness of the Naga people and how different the Nagas, their culture and way of life are from other people. The voice was speaking in English, it was a male voice and it had a strange undeniable aura but it did not sound like the voice of an Englishman or an American. That tape cassette carrying that voice came a long way from across the seas. It was the voice of none other than the great man, A.Z. Phizo. Yes, indeed, I have even had the privilege and honor of listening to the voice of this great man. But this was just a one-time experience. And these audio recordings are already lost to the ravages of time.
Many simple and yet groundbreaking sayings are attributed to a man called Jesus Christ who walked the surface of this earth around 2000 years ago. These iconic words of this great man are recorded in the New Testament in what we today call the four gospels. Unfortunately there was no gramophone or tape recorder at that time and so today nobody knows what Jesus’ voice must have been like. And also in the absence of modern technologies like microphone and amplifiers, we wonder how Jesus or even the other apostles like Paul could have possibly communicated with large crowds. But whatever may have been the nature of their voices or their vocal chords, what has really endured and stood the test of times are the words that came out of their mouth which continue to guide us as our moral conscience.
The inventions of the gramophone and the audio / video recorders were important landmarks in mankind’s journey. Likewise, the inventions of the microphone and amplifiers which enabled man’s voice to reach out to multitudes of people in large settings have literally changed the course of human history.
It is said that though the Russian dictator Joseph Stalin had been ruling over Russia for many years, for a long time the Russians did not know how he sounded like because Stalin was not an orator like Hitler. Stalin never spoke in front of his subjects nor did he speak to them over the radio. And there was a reason behind this. Stalin did not wish the people to hear him because he had a very distinct Georgian accent and he thought his people would lose their respect for him once they heard his voice because his accent was nowhere near the normal Russian accent. It was only when an emergency situation arose that Stalin overcame this inhibition and spoke to his people who were really astounded by the nature of his voice and accent.
The Gospel of John begins with the words, “In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God”. These immortal divine lines fervently remind us of how intrinsically linked our life is to words. And no other musical instrument except the human voice can produce words. Whether it is communication between man and man or between man and his Creator, words are indispensible.
Thus, we can safely conclude that the human voice is the greatest and above all other musical instruments because other musical instruments can only produce sounds and tunes but the human voice can produce words. Words have creative powers and so, since the human voice can release words, it is the most powerful, the most explicit and the most enduring of all musical instruments. And it was through words that the Almighty spoke the whole universe into existence.
Indeed, to conclude, it is worthwhile to recollect that the book of Genesis begins with the iconic lines, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth”. And here, God did not create the heavens and the earth with his thoughts or actions but with his words. And when God said, “Let there be light”, light came at the speed of 300,000 KMs per second (186282 miles per second). How amazing and awe-inspiring is that!
So, even if you do not know how to play any musical instrument, if you have your voice and can speak words, you have the greatest musical instrument inside you. And the quality and destiny of your life will depend on how well you play this instrument with yourself, with your peers and with your Creator.
